Cabinet



Jan. 16, 1923. 1,442,732

E. oHNsTRANu.

CAHNET FILED JAN.. 28, 1922.

E lwvewr Enoch wfrazd i 6g ma; @w1-YM his' oifnetga Patented Jan. 16, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ENOCH GHNSTRAND, OF MOHAWK, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 LIBRARY BUREAU, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CABINET.

Application filed January 28, 1922. Serial No. 532,448.

T 0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ENooH OnNs'mAND, citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Mohawk, in the county of Herkimer and State of New York, have invent.

ed new and useful Improvements in Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cabinets and particularly to lire resist-ant cabinets such as vaults, safes, filing cabinets, etc., designedy for the protection of documents and other valuables from fire.

Vhen cabinets are subjected to intense heat, as in a fire, the expansion of the metal resulting from the heat followed by contraction` as the cabinet cools more or less rapidly frequently causes distortion and deformation of the cabinet walls. This is most serious when it occurs in the door frame and sides adjacent vthe door where it usually opens up the crack between the door and door frame permitting heated air, gases, smoke, steam, water and sometimes flame to reach the interior of the cabinet to the injury and perhaps destruction of the contents. y

Objects Of the invention are to restrain deformation of fire resistant receptacles, to maintain close contact between the doors and door frames of such structures, to strengthen the latter against strains due to expansion and contraction 4and against shocks due to falls, and in general to` improve devices of this kind.

The invention comprises means for maintaining an inward pressure upon the door frame of a fire resistant cabinet to oppose outward deformation of the frame. It further comprises protecting said means from beat. Means are provided for reenforcing the frame where the pressure lis applied. Roth said means are preferably incorporated in a truss structuremomprising an elongate member attached to the frame with a projecting member or spacerintermediate its ends and a truss rod bearing upon said spacer. The ends of the truss rod are suitably anchored and preferably have end sup ports bearing upon the outer casing of the cabinet. Means are provided for insulating the truss rod from heat as by embedding it in the heat insulating filling of the cabinet.

I per and lower portions of the safe, the centerbeing cut away, and showing the truss structures in full lines and the adjacent parts of the safe in dotted lines;

Figure 3 is a. section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; y

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the lower truss structure; and

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2. j

The embodiment of the invent-ion shown for the purpose of illustration comprises a safe A having an angle iron frame B, swinging doors C pivoted to the frame at D, lock dial E and bolt operating handles F. Assindicated in Fig. 3 the safe has an outer casing G and an inner casing H, the inner casing forming the door jamb. The space between the two casings is filled with heat insulating material I. In order to Prevent the opening or widening of the crack between the door and door jamb.` which frequently happens either during expansion of the wall of the safe from heat duringv fire or from contraction following the fire, truss `members are provided to maintain the door jamb in proper position. In the drawing the safe is shown as provided with truss structures at the top and bottom only but it is obvious that such structures may be used at the sides also if desired. The truss structures are similar in form but .reversed in position and have as a. base a flat bar r6 having integral anfyilarlf,vv disposed flanges 7 at its ends. Bar 6 is attached in asuitable manner to the inner face of a. wide portion of the door jamb as indicated at 8, Fig. as by screws 11.V On .the projecting ends of the rod 11 vsaid means from heat.

are end supports 12 having portions 13 adapted to bear against outer' casing Gr as shown in Fig. 3. Truss rod 11may be -tensioned'to produce downward pressurel upon bar 6 through spacer 10 by tightening nuts 14 on the ends thereof. By reason of the' slight inclination `of the portion ofthe door iamb to which the'bar 6 is attached, the

edges of flanges 7k are angularly disposed 'tothe corresponding edges `of endv supports 12 as indicated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. The truss structures at the top and bottom of thesafe are reversed in vposition to apply the properA pressure `to their respectivefportionsof the door jamb, asindicated in Fig. 2. `By disposing the truss structures .to vbear upon'the ybroad section 8 `ofthe door jamb the trussv rods are spaced a sufficient distance l,from the outer casing G to 1protect them from heat, which is accomplished by imbedding theiniin'and entirely surrounding them withy the heat insulating material I; This vinsulation from heat is essential to the proper functioning of the truss structures since expansion of the trussv rods under heat would destroy the` tension therein. and outward .bulging of the door jamb under expansion 2. In a fire-resistantcabinet having an opening and a door frame in said opening. means maintaining constant in ward'pressure on said frame for preventing outward bulging of thel sides of said frame in the yplane of the opening, and means for. protecting l 3. In' a cabinet vhaving an opening and a door frame in said opening,means for reensaid reenforcing means,lsai d.pressure being applied. ina planesubstantially perpendicular to said reinforcing means.

4. In a cabinet having an opening anda door frame insaid opening.y means disposed substantially perpendicularly to said'rein- `forcing means for reenforcing said` frame,

and means for opposing outward distortion vof both said rframe and said reenforcing means, said opposing means being insulated from heat. A,

5. In a. cabinet associated with said frame .for opposing out- -wardbulging of the sides thereof, said struc'- `ture being constructed and arranged to app having an opening and al door framein said opening, a truss structure f opening and a door frame in said opening, a truss structure for reenforcing said frame andopposing outward lbulging of the sides thereof, saidstructure being protected from lie'at and arranged vto maintain a constant inward pressure on said frame substantially inthe ,plane of said opening.`

7. In a. cabinet having an opening' and a v'door frame in said opening, a truss structure comprising lan elongate member adapted to 'be madefast to said frame, and truss means on said member for opposing outward 'distortion of the sides of said frame inthel plane of said opening. p

8.-In a `cabinet having an opening .and ay r door frameI in' said opening, a truss struc.

tureA comprising a lreenforeing member for said frame fast thereon, a truss `rod lattached at its ends to the ends of said member, and a spacer `d'sposed intermediate the ends of said 'member for tensioning said rod.

9. A .fire-resistant cabinet having inner` and o'uterfcasings, heat insulating material between said casings, al door opening,a door frameuin said opening, and means embedded in said .heat insulating materialfor oppos-.

ing outward distortion of the sides ofsaid frame in the plane of said opening. y v 10. A fire-resistant cabinet having inner and outer easings, heat yinsulating material between said casings, and a truss structure embedded in said lieatinsulating material for epposingioutward distortion of the sides lof saidfframe in the plane of said opening.

11. A cabinet having inner and outer cassaid member and. -embeddedin rsaid heat insulating material for opposing inward ydis-,-y

tortion of the. sides of said vframe in thel y -plane vof said opening.. forcing said frame, and .means for vmaintainl `ing constant pressure on both saidframe and y12. A cabinet having aninner and-'outer casiiigs, said cabinet having an opening proends to said member and bearing -upon said v spacer. f

13. Al cabinet having an inner and outer.. casings', a door' frame for said cabinet, a truss `structurefor opposing outward distortion of said frame, and `end supports for said structure bearingupon said outer casing.

14. Ayiire-resistaint cabinet having innei` and outer casings. adoor framefor the cabinet, a reenforcing member fast-on said frame,y a .truss rod bearing upon/said niember. andend supports forsaid rod'bearmg against said outer casing, said rod being epm-pv,l

10ol ings, heat insulating material therebetween,vvsaid cabinet'havin'g an opening with a frame 110 vided with a door frame, a reenforcing mem-: :v ber fastionv said frame havingaspacer inter-y mediate its ends, and a truss rod fast Aatfits iurly bent ends and a spacer intermediate its ends, and a truss rod fast in openings in said ends and bearing upon said spacer.

16. A fire-resistant cabinet having and outer casings and a door frame, an elongate member fast on said frame having integral angularly bent ends and a spacer intermediate its ends, a truss rod fast in openings in said ends and bearing upon said spacer, and end supports for said rod bearing against 10 said outer easing, said rod being embedded in said heat insulating material.

Signed by me at Mohawk, N. Y., this 24th day 0f January, 1922.

ENOCH OHNSTRAND.

Certicate of Correction.

It is hereby certed that in Letters Pat-ent No. 1,442,732, granted January 16` 1928, upon the application of Enoch Ohnstrand, of Mohawk, New York, for an improvement in Cabnetsj7 errors appear n the printed specification requiring Correction as follows: Page 2, line 109, Claim 12, and line 116, daim 13, strike ont the Word an, same page, hne 127, claim 11q strike out the word saicwg page 3, line 4:, claim 16, after the Word having nSer't the Word inner; Same page and claim, line 12, strike out the Word said and that the said Letters Patent shoud be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case n the Patent Oce.

Signed and sealed this 27th day o1 February, A. D., 1923.

[SEAL] KARL FENNING,

Acting ommz'ssz'oner of Patents.

n Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,442,732, granted January 16, 1923, upon the application of Enoch @hust-rand, of Mohawk, New York, for an improvement in Cahinets, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line 109, claim 12, and line 116, elaine 13, strike out the Word an, salne page, line 127, claim 14, strike out the Word satVg page 3, line 4, Claim 16, after the Word having insert the Word inner; saine page and claim, line 12, strike out the Word said and that the said Letters Patent should be read With these corrections therein that the salne may Conform to the record of the ease in the Patent Oee.

Signed and sealed this 27th day of February, A. D., 1923.

[SEAL] KARL FENNING.,

Aoing Oom'mz'ssz'oner of Patents. 

